Sentencing Hearing Slated in 2011 Shooting Death

Sentencing is set this week for a local man, who was found guilty earlier this month of aggravated assault, rather than murder, in connection with the 2011 shooting death of a Greenville resident. Sentencing is scheduled Monday in the 196th District Court for Bernard Kelly Jr., who was convicted of the lesser included charge December 5 following a two day trial.

Kelly and Tyrone Leorone McCurdy, both of Greenville, had each received one indictment for murder involving the death of Treybbian Leeky Nelson.

Kelly had pleaded not guilty.

In a motion filed with the court, District Attorney Noble D. Walker Jr. said his office was seeking the conviction on the lesser charge due to new mitigating evidence which was recently revealed and,

“the defendant’s cooperation and truthful testimony in the trial of Tyrone McCurdy, the individual who killed the victim.”

McCurdy was convicted by a jury in the court last month of one count of murder and was sentenced to 50 years in prison.